Comfort in Words, Not Actions
by BittenGamer
Summary: After defeating Caesar's Legion at the Hoover Dam, Boone and the female courier decide to go to Novac. However, as they head back, Boone changes his thoughts on his actions effecting his thoughts on the female courier as well.


**Author's Note: I have always favored Boone in fallout: New Vegas the most as a follower. Even though he lost his wife, I still wishes he could be with the female courier .. This is taking place right as they destroy Caesar's legion and pushed out NCR.**

Courier's P.O.V.:

After heading back to Novac since New Vegas was probably going slowly into ruins, Boone and I trudged quietly out of Caesar's now dead encampment. I put my hunting rifle back in the sling on my back as I watched Boone grip his rifle tighter, looking at the legion corpses that littered the ground.

"Hey," I piped up, looking at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me" he answered, as his eyes flickered at the bodies. Sighing, I cleared my throat as we got to the raft back to cottonwood cove.

Boone, being a gentleman, motioned for me to sit as he pushed and rowed us off. Quietly, I looked at the irradiated water and cliffs around us as we left the camp.

"That was some war huh?" I tried, seeing if I could get him to open up. Knowing Boone, he probably felt better knowing the assholes that took his wife as a slave are dead or are going to be. However, seemed as stone-faced as normal.

"Yeah" he answered, staring off ahead of us. I stuck out my bottom lip in a pout and stared at his sunglasses. The way they shielded his eyes made me annoyed, but I knew if I asked for them back when we traded inventory, he would look at me without even having to say his answer: _No._

"Aren't you happy that you got revenge for your wife's death?" I continued, deciding to stare off ahead of us again. Suddenly, I felt the raft shake and Boone grunt like he was hurt. When I shot up to my feet and pulled out my rifle for danger, I saw what had happened. Whether he wasn't paying attention or he had gotten soft on me, I saw he had stuck himself with the backside of the oar, cutting open his hand.

"I'm fine" he grunted, not even allowing me to ask the question. I shifted my weight to one side and put my hands on my hips.

"Liar" I frowned, starting to walk to him so I may dress the wound. However, I forgot we were on a raft. In a river… Like an idiot… As quickly as I took a step, I tipped over the raft, spilling us into the water. With my Pip-Boy clicking as I floated in the irradiated muck, I swam over to Boone.

"Damn it!" He yelled, gripping his hand tight as the dirty water flooding inside.

"I'm sorry!" I called out, only 7 feet away from him. Looking at me without his sunglasses, I saw the reason he didn't want me to clean his wound.

He had been crying. Crying over his wife, SOmething Boone never does in front of anyone, including me for the matter. Looking away to save him the embarrassment, I swam towards the shore of cottonwood cove and dragged myself ashore.

"Are you okay?" he asked, opening his backpack to get some clean water to wash out the wound.

"Yeah," I whispered, curling up in a ball. "I'm sorry I asked about her and got you hurt." Pausing for a brief second, he sighed and sat next to me, beginning to wrap up his wound.

"I wasn't upset that you asked" he explained. "I was just taken aback by the fact that you still remembered that it had happened." Frowning, I looked at him and saw him staring at me with, instead of cold eyes as usual, they were warm. Almost like he was happy I remembered.

"Of course I remembered!" I mumbled, looking away as my cheeks flushed red. "You love her and miss everyday don't you?" Chuckling, he grabbed my chin and turned my surprised and blushing face towards him.

"I did love her. She was strong and smart like you. She, however, lack what I love in you even more" he smiled.

"Which was?" I whispered, surprised by how much he had changed in a matter of seconds.

"Your honesty towards others whether you liked the consequences or not," he leaned in, lips just centimeters from my. "She never told me of her state of health until I had to find out the hard way. Something I come to now realize was the root of her demise."

"I don't understand though" I whispered again, breath ragged from his closeness. Kissing me lightly he pulled back and looked at me with eyes full of sadness. He cupped my face and rubbed my cheek with one thumb as he changed my life in one action and sentence.

"She told her Jeannie that she was planning on giving the baby away so I didn't find out and Jeannie told her she would help with the process: by selling her Legionnaires. " Gasping, I saw Boone's eyes fill with tears.

"That's why when you killed her, it hurt you so much" I breathed out. "You never knew until I showed you the note."

"Yeah, I basically killed my family in one shot" he choked out, bottom lip trembling. Hugging him tightly, I nuzzled into him and cried silently with him. I couldn't ever imagine such hurt he must have felt when I showed him the bill of sale.

"I won't ever put you in a position like that" I promised. Pulling back he got up and looked at me with cold eyes. Confused and slightly blinded by the sun, I looked up at him and tilted my head to the side.

"You don't have to worry about me," he said, breaking the tension with a smile and a helping hand up. "I promise I won't anyone hurt either of us like that." Smiling back, I took his hand and got up.

"It took late for you though," I sighed, dusting myself off. Confused he looked at me with the question why written all over his face. Laughing, I pointed at my head, shaping my hands like a gun. "I was shot in the head remember?"

Sighing, he spun me around towards novac and pushed me slightly to walk. "Yeah, I know," he chuckled. "I meant starting today."


End file.
